Surfshark VPN Review

Surfshark, officially based in the British Virgin Islands, is one of the standout VPNs, offering low prices and ease of use. Founded in 2018, it frequently ranks as one of the best VPN providers on the market. But how reliable and safe is this VPN provider? Does it work with Netflix, Prime Video, and other streaming services? Do Surfshark VPN servers have consistent speeds that prevent latency and buffering? In this review, we take an in-depth look at Surfshark, in addition to discussing key features to look for in any VPN.

Pros & Cons of Surfshark VPN

Key Features of Surfshark VPN

All VPN networks should provide a certain level of protection and access. We looked into the four key features for any VPN network to give you a better understanding of how to choose a provider. These features are — security and privacy, server coverage, performance, and price. Below is a breakdown of what Surfshark offers in these four main areas:

Security and Privacy

A quality VPN not only keeps your information secure while you’re online, but it also protects your data and browsing history from future use. Surfshark offers many services that are designed to provide users with the highest level of privacy. Multihop connections allow you to send your IP address through multiple servers, making it more difficult to track your location. The provider also uses 256-bit encryption for all user traffic, which means that third parties, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP,) can’t see your activity and data.

A no-logging policy is a key VPN feature if you want to make sure your browsing history is safe. Surfshark makes sure that it doesn’t keep any user information and adheres to a strict, no-log policy. Furthermore, because of Surfshark’s official location in the British Virgin Islands, they’re exempt from data surveillance and intelligence alliances, such as 9-Eyes. Their location also means they don’t have to keep data for future use by law enforcement.

Surfshark pays a lot of attention to privacy protection. An automatic kill switch, hack lock, and NoBorders mode are all additional features that help safeguard your data, which can be easily configured for your individual needs.

Server Coverage

Access to multiple servers is an important feature of any VPN because it helps prevent overcrowding on networks. Too many users on a specific server can lead to slow connection speeds and buffering. As a result, you experience latency when streaming, or slow download speeds when torrenting.

The process of choosing a Surfshark server to use is easy, and the service has about 1,7000 servers located around the globe. As of August 2020, Surfshark has active servers in 63 countries, meaning you can access a wide range of VPN services almost anywhere in the world. Surfshark’s servers work great with unblocking streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Some users may also use a VPN to unlock new video games, circumvent government censorship, or access shopping discounts. Surfshark’s large number of connection options helps make this a simple task. With such a vast number of servers, you can also feel confident about the security of your information when you make online purchases or transfer sensitive data.

Performance

Slow performance speeds and a lack of configuration options can make using a VPN feel like a burden instead of an enhancement to your online experience. Because of Surfshark’s army of servers, overcrowding is avoided, meaning you aren’t in competition for bandwidth with other users. The VPN offers consistent speeds, even when connecting to servers farther away from your location. Usually, you want to connect to the server closest to your original lP address to keep your connection as fast as possible. When you’re trying to unblock content located in another country, you often need a local IP address, which can result in increased latency. However, Surfshark maintains an impressive speed even when connecting to servers located on the other side of the world.

Surfshark also helps to prevent throttling, which is the process of slowing down or speeding up your internet connection. Because Surfshark hides your original IP address, it makes it harder for your ISP to use this practice when they think you may be using too much bandwidth.

Surfshark allows you to easily connect your VPN to multiple devices. The average home in the United Kingdom and the U.S. has over 10 internet-enabled devices. Many of these phones, apps, and tablets hold passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information in their keychain. It’s important to have a VPN on any devices that might be vulnerable to potential hackers, or that might encounter roadblocks in reaching certain websites. Surfshark allows for unlimited simultaneous connections across all devices. It’s created a series of apps and software that are compatible with both Mac and Windows, allowing you to easily configure your operating system. Having the option of unlimited connections on multiple devices makes Surfshark a standout VPN, especially at this price point.

Another premium feature that’s included with Surfshark is the ability to split tunnels. Also known as whitelisting, split tunneling allows you to determine which websites or apps aren’t accessed through the VPN tunnel. Having this feature can be very helpful when you need to show your real location, such as when accessing your bank’s website.

Surfshark’s built-in ad-blocker, CleanWeb, and add-on features, such as HackLock and BlindSearch, help support consistent performance with privacy at the forefront.

Price

Ivacy offers three subscription plans. The best value is the yearly plan, which comes with a seven-day trial for 99 cents and bills $3.99 a month after that. The trial can be easily canceled via an account menu on the Ivacy website.

The two-year subscription costs $2.25 per month and is billed biannually at $54. A one-month plan is available and costs $9.95. Subscribers can also buy optional security add-ons, such as port forwarding for $1.99 a month or a dedicated IP address for $1 a month. This IP address won’t be shared with anyone else, so it adds extra peace of mind.

Ivacy accepts an impressive number of payment options, including credit cards, PayPal, PerfectMoney, and Bitcoin. Subscribers who pay with any type of cryptocurrency can’t get a refund, though.

Here’s a look at Surfshark’s plans and prices:

Surfshark VPN Overview

What Customers Are Saying About Surfshark VPN

People around the world are using Surfshark to improve their everyday online experience. Whether it’s used for unblocking Netflix or protecting credit card information when shopping online, customers are finding Surfshark an affordable and reliable VPN provider.

Customers also find Surfshark easy to use with electronic devices, including Amazon Fire. One Surfshark user said, “After being told by IP Vanish, sorry we don’t work with Amazon FireTV Box & Dongle, even though they falsely state it does, I found SurfShark that is an all in one product as well as an ad blocker that works on all my devices for 2 full years for a lot less than IP Vanish, which lied on their ad that it is Amazon Friendly but would not play any of my Amazon Prime choices. Don’t waste your time and money on IP Vanish as SurfShark does everything it states and more!”

Users also believe that Surfshark is the best VPN available for Mac OS. A recent review proclaims, “I should emphasize that Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for iOS. Though it doesn’t seem to have any giant advantages and sort of lags behind Mac and Windows versions functionality-wise at first glance, it’s better than most other VPNs for this OS. The reason for it is because really powerful VPN software is rarely made for it.”